Body Shaming Is Not Only Exclusive To Women, Men Undergo The Same Trauma & We Need To Talk About It

Body shaming, an issue that is considered exclusive to women who get shamed for their body type, their size and anything that has to do with vanity. However, contrary to popular opinion, body-image issues are prevalent in men too. Body shaming can lead to jabs about one’s weight or skin colour and even hair loss. Most over-weight men or even marginally fat people have gone through some sort of body shaming in their lives.

These jabs tend to affect men with body-image issues thanks to the standards that are set by society, the media and even your own mother. I have been overweight in the past, and I have been subjected to body shaming just like everyone else. It comes from the most unexpected places and sometimes from your loved ones.

I’ve always been a chubby child. I was fat during the course of my entire childhood and I have been awkward about it ever since. When I am walking down an alley or getting out of my car, my body language is still of someone who used to be fat. But during my experience growing up I faced many obstacles from peers and even my family. Yes, I am no longer considered fat today because I worked hard to look ‘normal’ according to some people, but it’s time we discuss a few things that you might be doing unknowingly and what adverse effect it can have on an overweight person.

Body shaming has a huge impact on a man’s self-esteem. It affects our self-confidence and it can also lead to depression if the problem is not curbed. You can always argue that some people choose to remain fat because of their eating habits or their lack of commitment to be fit. But one must understand, all these problems are interlinked to each other. Men just like women, tend to lose confidence and become socially awkward simply because they are scared you might judge them because of their weight. I still get jabs from my friends and sometimes even my mother because they think they are looking out for us.

Sometimes my mother would pass comments like ‘Nobody will ever marry you because you are fat’. Or my girlfriend would pass comments about my weight (which she thought was harmless because she meant it as a joke) that would have a very unpleasant effect on me.

Body shaming in relation to men is not talked about as much but research shows that men are not exempt from it. Body shaming affects everyone equally and men’s voices are repeatedly diminished because it isn’t considered ‘manly’ enough to talk about it. There are more and more men who face hurtful and legitimate experiences and most of the time it comes from other men. Fitness nuts and even fitness companies think that body shaming acts as a motivation tool to make people join the gym or look a certain way because our plastic society wants us to look our absolute best.

Fitness companies can demand insane things out of people, particularly men if they are not too proud of their bodies. The most obvious thing to point out is that these advertising techniques are ineffective and do not act as a motivation tool. In turn, it just adds even more pressure on men with confidence issues. These companies make losing weight a frightening experience rather than a positive one.

Do you really think a victim of fat shaming will have the courage to hit the gym? Do you really think they have the courage to work out and try to lose weight in front meat heads and bros who are too busy taking selfies? It did not take an advert to make me lose weight, the motivation came from within. It happened because I was sick and tired of hearing all the demeaning comments. I was and tired of the ridicule I faced every day.

Telling people to change their eating habits or their attitude towards fitness is not the right way to go about it. Do not body shame them because you think they are obese. It only makes things worse for them. Everybody has a kid inside, and we all hate to be told what we should do and get backed into a corner. Maybe you should just let people be? Maybe let them gain their confidence first and then break in the idea of telling them to lose weight?

We need to make it very clear to overweight people that it’s about health and not about aesthetics. While one makes people feel bad about the way they look, it develops body image issues which probably for unhealthy for that person. But being overweight is also unhealthy. Send a message of empowerment instead of body shaming the person, they are in charge of their body but the least we can do is let them be, if they are happy about it.